Diadochi Wars, 323-280 BC Diadochi Wars, 323-280 BC Tweet The Wars of the Diadochi were a series of conflicts that followed the death of Alexander the Great . They were fought between his most important generals, for control of all or part of his empire. The main issues were decided during the first twenty years of the conflict, ending at the battle of Issus in 301 BC. Alexander’s empire was split into three main successor states – Macedonia, Egypt and the Seleucid Empire. Conflict between the surviving successors continued at a less intense layer until the death of the last of the successors, Seleucus I , in 280 BC. The successors can be seen as having fallen into two main camps – those who wanted to maintain Alexander’s empire intact, either for his descendants or for themselves, and those who wanted to establish their own rule over smaller parts of the Empire. Their first task was to establish a framework for the rule of the Empire after Alexander’s death. Their first attempt was made at Babylon in 323 BC .

Officially the empire remained intact, to be ruled in the name of Alexander’s son, Alexander IV and his half brother, under the name Philip III. Real power was split between Perdiccas , as regent for the two kings, Antipater as the king’s representative in Macedonia, and the satraps, prominent amongst them Ptolemy , who was given Egypt and Antigonus One-Eye , who retained control of much of Asia Minor. The ranks of the successors were soon thinned. The death of Alexander triggered a revolt in Greece ( Lamian War, 323-321 BC ), which saw the death of Leonnatus, satrap of Hellespontine Phrygia. This revolt overlapped with the First Diadoch War (322-320) , triggered by what may have been the first bid to success Alexander. Perdiccas decided to marry Alexander’s sister Cleopatra, almost certainly with an eye on the Macedonian throne. Alarmed, most of his fellow successors rallied against him. Only Eumenes stayed loyal. Ptolemy made the most dramatic of gestures, seizing the body of Alexander the Great and taking it to his capital of Alexandria.

Leaving Eumenes behind in Asia Minor, Perdiccas led what was left of the main Imperial army to Egypt, to deal with Ptolemy. Once in Egypt the expedition went disastrously wrong. Perdiccas’s army failed to cross the eastern branch of the Nile, and Perdiccas was murdered by his own officers. Eumenes had more success. In a major battle somewhere on the border of Cappadocia he defeated an army sent against him, killing Craterus , the third of Alexander’s generals to die in two years. In response the main Macedonian army, now temporarily dominated by Ptolemy, condemned Eumenes to death. This First Diadoch War ended with a second attempted settlement, at Triparadisus in Syria (320) . This time the aging Antipater assumed the regency. Antigonus was made commander of the Macedonian army in Asia, and ordered to deal with Eumenes. Ptolemy of course retained Egypt. A new figure also appears on the scene, Seleucus , another of Alexander’s staff, who was appointed satrap of Babylonia. For the next nineteen years events centred around Antigonus.

As the ruler of Asia he was in the best position to reunite Alexander’s empire. He had the ability to do so, and it very soon became clear also had the intention to do so. He was prevented from doing so only by repeated coalitions containing most or all of his rivals. At Triparadisus Antigonus had been given the job of defeating Eumenes. He was engaged in this when Antipater died (319 BC), removing the last source of stability in the Empire. He had appointed a minor general, Polyperchon, to replace him, and this triggered a new round of conflict ( Second Diadoch War, 319-316 ). This ranged Polyperchon against Antipater’s son Cassander in Greece and Antigonus against Eumenes in Asia. By the time it ended, Cassander was virtual king of Macedonia, Alexander’s mother Olympias and his half-brother Philip III Arrhidaeus were both dead, and Antigonus had defeated and killed Eumenes, although only after chasing him all the way to Persia.

This left Antigonus as the most powerful of the successors, and he soon made it clear that he intended to reunite Alexander’s empire under his own rule. Over the next year he concentrated on securing his power in the Asian satrapies, placing his own supporters in positions of power. He also seized a vast fortune from the treasuries of Ectabana, Persepolis and Susa, said to be worth 25,000 talents. Early in 315 he turned his attention to Seleucus, satrap of Babylon. He fled to Ptolemy in Egypt, from where he was able to help create a coalition against Antigonus. Third Diadoch War That coalition contained Ptolemy, Cassander and Lysimachus. They delivered an ultimatum to Antigonus in which he was ordered to surrender large parts of Asia Minor, all of Syria and Babylonian, and much of his money. Unsurprisingly he refused, triggering the Third Diadoch War . This war saw fighting in Greece, Asia Minor and Syria. Antigonus began by concentrating on Phoenicia and Palestine, besieging Tyre and capturing Gaza and Joppa.

Late in 315 he issued a proclamation from Tyre, in which he laid out his own demands, and promised to maintain the liberty and autonomy of the Greek cities. This was mainly aimed at Cassander, who held most of central Greece and normally favoured oligarchies. Also aimed at Cassander was a reconciliation with Polyperchon, who Antigonus appointed strategos of the Peloponnese. Antigonus then left the defence of Syria in the hands of his son Demetrius and turned north, where he made a series of unsuccessful attempts to break into Europe. Ptolemy finally made a move late in 312, attacking and defeating Demetrius at Gaza. In the aftermath Seleucus was able to return to Babylon, where he was welcomed back and was soon strong enough to defend his new territories. The defeat at Gaza forced Antigonus to conclude a peace agreement with Cassander and Lysimachus. Faced with the prospect of standing alone, Ptolemy also requested peace. The treaty restored the position before the war, with the exception of the position of Seleucus, who was not mentioned in the treaty.

One immediate aftermath of the peace of 311 was the death of Alexander IV, Alexander the Great’s son, who was now a child of 13. Cassander had been recognised as “general of Europe” until the child came of age. In order to prevent that, Cassander had him murdered in 310 BC. The treaty of 311 was not followed by a period of peace. Antigonus made an attempt to re-conquer Babylon ( Babylonian War ), which ended when he was defeated in battle somewhere in Babylonian. Ptolemy took possession of Cyrus and made an alliance with Rhodes. Polyperchon, with some encouragement from Antigonus, made an attempt to place a bastard son of Alexander the Great on the throne, before being bought off by Cassander (309 or 308). In 308 Ptolemy sent an expedition to central Greece, but he failed to win support amongst the Greeks and soon retreated. Fourth Diadoch War The disappearance of Polyperchon and the retreat of Ptolemy left Cassander without an opponent in Greece.

Before he could strengthen his position too far Antigonus intervened, sending his son Demetrius to Athens, then ruled by dictator imposed by Cassander. Demetrius arrived in 307 BC, and was greeted as a divine liberator by the Athenians. The democracy was restored, and Athens prepared for another war with Macedonia (Four Years’ War, 307-304). Demetrius’s actions are also seen as starting the Fourth Diadoch War . Cyprus in 306 BC Despite starting in Greece, the early focus of this war came in the east Mediterranean. In 306 Demetrius was sent to Cyprus , which he conquered after winning a major naval battle at Salamis . In the aftermath of this victory, Antigonus finally took the title of king, which had been vacant since the murder of Alexander IV. Ptolemy, Lysimachus and Cassander would soon take the same title, while Demetrius was given it by his father. Antigonus clearly intended this move to demonstrate that he was now the successor to Alexander the Great. The others may have had more limited ambitions, at least for the moment.

This was the high-point of Antigonus’s career. An attempted invasion of Egypt (306) failed. It was followed by the famous siege of Rhodes (305-4), where Demetrius earned his nickname of “the Besieger”. Despite all of Demetrius’s best efforts, the city held out. Meanwhile, Cassander was beginning to re-establish his position in Greece. This was one of the reasons Antigonus ended the siege of Rhodes. Demetrius was returned to Greece, where he took control of most of central Greece. In 302 he formed a new League of Corinth, a league of Greek cities aimed against Macedonia. While Antigonus prepared for an offensive from Asia Minor, Demetrius began to pressure Macedonia from the south. Cassander made an attempt to come to an agreement with Antigonus. When his peace offer was refused, he turned to Ptolemy, Lysimachus and Seleucus. Together they came up with the plan that finally defeated Antigonus. Lysimachus led an army that included a large contingent provided by Cassander out of Europe into Asia Minor.

There they were to keep Antigonus in place until Seleucus arrived from the east, with an army that contained 500 elephants. Ptolemy was meant to take part in this campaign, but instead chose to invade Coele-Syria. The plan worked. Antigonus withdrew Demetrius from Greece, and the two armies came together at Ipsus, in one of the largest battles of the Hellenistic period. The result was a victory for the allies. Antigonus was killed on the battlefield, and his Asian empire collapsed. Lysimachus was rewarded with most of Asia Minor, Seleucus with Syria. Ptolemy refused to surrender Coele-Syria, and Seleucus, in a rare show of gratitude between the successors, did not insist on its return. The issue would come to dominate relationships between the Seleucid empire and Ptolemaic Egypt, but only after the deaths of Seleucus I and Ptolemy I. The battle of Ipsus is seen as a major turning point in the struggle between the successors. Antigonus was the last of the successors whose entire policy was aimed at reunited all of Alexander’s empire.

His son Demetrius would continue to threaten the stability of the Hellenistic world for some years, while both Lysimachus and Seleucus would be given a chance to unit large parts of the empire, but not as a result of consistent policy. In the aftermath of Ipsus there were five power blocks in the Hellenistic world. Ptolemy was secure in Egypt, and began to recover his position on Cyprus and in the Aegean. Seleucus had a strong empire that stretched from the borders of India, through Iran, into northern Syria. Lysimachus now ruled in Thrace and Asia Minor and Cassander in Macedonia and parts of Greece. Surprisingly Demetrius remained powerful. He retained Cyprus for some time, had control of Tyre and Sidon in Phoenicia, as well as a series of cities in Asia Minor that remained loyal or didn’t like the prospect of rule by Lysimachus. Athens expelled his troops, returned a squadron of his ships and left the league formed in 302, which collapsed. He did retain control of Corinth, which became his base for the next few years.

Over the next few years Demetrius can be found dashing backwards and forwards around Greece, trying to strengthen his position. His big break came in 297, with the death of Cassander. He was briefly succeeded by his son Philip IV, who died a few months later. Two younger sons remained, and a civil war soon erupted. In 294 BC Demetrius was apparently invited in by one of the brothers, but quickly established himself on the throne. It would be a short reign. Rather than accept his good fortune and concentrate on Macedonia, Demetrius began to plan for a return to Asia. Lysimachus was his first target, but Demetrius’s preparations for conquest alienated the people of Macedonia. In 288 Lysimachus and Pyrrhus of Epirus invaded Maccedonia. Demetrius was expelled, and after a brief period of split control with Pyrrhus Lysimachus in turn became King of Macedonia. Demetrius made one final bid for glory, invading Asia Minor with a small force of mercenaries in 287 BC.

Despite some impressive victories, he was slowly pushed east, until he was finally forced to surrender to Seleucus in 285 in Cilicia. Again showing unusual behaviour for a successor, Seleucus kept him alive in luxurious imprisonment. Demetrius finally died in 283 BC. Lysimachus would prove no more long lived as king of Macedonia. The time of the Successors was passing. In 283 Ptolemy died of natural causes, one of only three of the main successors to achieve that. Only Lysimachus and Seleucus were left of the generation who had fought with Alexander the Great. Lysimachus was not a popular king in Macedonia, but he was elderly and his son Agathocles had proved himself an able man. Unfortunately, he now fell foul of a dynastic squabble between his wife and his step-mother, both daughters of Ptolemy, and was executed on his father’s orders. Refuges from Lysimachus’s court flocked to Seleucus, offering support and begging him to intervene. In 282 Seleucus invaded Asia Minor. The prize was the unification of all of Alexander’s empire outside Egypt.

His progress through Asia Minor was something of a triumph. In 281 Lysimachus responded, leading an army into Asia Minor. The last battle between the Successors took place at Corupedium, near Sardis. Seleucus was victorious, Lysimachus was killed during the battle. For a brief moment Seleucus was on the brink of reunited the empire. In 280 (or possibly late in 281) he crossed the Hellespont into Thrace, on his way to Macedonia. There he was murdered by Ptolemy Keraunos , a dispossessed son of Ptolemy I, who wanted Macedonia for himself. With the death of Seleucus the Diadochi Wars came to an end. Alexander’s empire was split in three – Macedonia, Ptolemaic Egypt and the Seleucid Empire, which briefly held most of the area that had made up the Persian Empire in the years before Alexander’s invasion. After a period of frequent and dramatic changes, these three states would now gain a certain amount of permanence, and would form the basis of the Hellenistic World for the next century and a half.

How to cite this article: Rickard, J (5 July 2007), Diadochi Wars, 323-280 BC , Wars of the Diadochi | Military Wiki | Fandom powered by Wikia Wars of the Diadochi Share Ad blocker interference detected! Wikia is a free-to-use site that makes money from advertising. We have a modified experience for viewers using ad blockers Wikia is not accessible if you’ve made further modifications. Remove the custom ad blocker rule(s) and the page will load as expected. Wars of the Diadochi Part of the Hellenistic period Date Corupedium The Wars of the Diadochi (or Wars of Alexander's Successors), (Greek: Πόλεμος των Διαδόχων, Polemos ton Diadochon) were a series of conflicts fought between Alexander the Great 's generals over the rule of his vast empire , after his death. They occurred between 322 and 275 BC. Contents Main article: Partition of Babylon When Alexander the Great died (June 10, 323 BC), he left behind a huge empire which was composed of many essentially independent territories.

Alexander's empire stretched from his homeland of Macedon itself, along with the Greek city-states that his father had subdued, to Bactria and parts of India in the east. It included Anatolia, the Levant, Egypt , Babylonia, and Persia . Without a chosen successor there was almost immediately a dispute among his generals as to who his successor should be. Meleager and the infantry supported the candidacy of Alexander's half-brother, Arrhidaeus , while Perdiccas , the leading cavalry commander, supported waiting until the birth of Alexander's unborn child by Roxana . A compromise was arranged – Arrhidaeus (as Philip III) should become king, and should rule jointly with Roxana's child, assuming that it was a boy (as it was, becoming Alexander IV ). Perdiccas himself would become regent of the entire empire, and Meleager his lieutenant. Soon, however, Perdiccas had Meleager and the other infantry leaders murdered, and assumed full control. The other cavalry generals who had supported Perdiccas were rewarded in the partition of Babylon by becoming satraps of the various parts of the empire.

Ptolemy received Egypt; Laomedon received Syria and Phoenicia; Philotas took Cilicia; Peithon took Media; Antigonus received Phrygia, Lycia and Pamphylia ; Asander received Caria; Menander received Lydia; Lysimachus received Thrace; Leonnatus received Hellespontine Phrygia ; and Neoptolemus had Armenia . Macedon and the rest of Greece were to be under the joint rule of Antipater , who had governed them for Alexander, and Craterus , Alexander's most able lieutenant, while Alexander's old secretary, Eumenes of Cardia , was to receive Cappadocia and Paphlagonia .

In the east, Perdiccas largely left Alexander's arrangements intact – Taxiles and Porus ruled over their kingdoms in India; Alexander's father-in-law Oxyartes ruled Gandara ; Sibyrtius ruled Arachosia and Gedrosia ; Stasanor ruled Aria and Drangiana ; Philip ruled Bactria and Sogdiana ; Phrataphernes ruled Parthia and Hyrcania ; Peucestas governed Persis ; Tlepolemus had charge over Carmania ; Atropates governed northern Media; Archon got Babylonia; and Arcesilas ruled northern Mesopotamia. Lamian War Main article: Lamian War The news of Alexander's death had inspired a revolt in Greece, known as the Lamian War . Athens and other cities joined together, ultimately besieging Antipater in the fortress of Lamia. Antipater was relieved by a force sent by Leonnatus , who was killed in action, but the war did not come to an end until Craterus's arrival with a fleet to defeat the Athenians at the Battle of Crannon on September 5, 322 BC.

For a time, this brought an end to Greek resistance to Macedonian domination. Meanwhile, Peithon suppressed a revolt of Greek settlers in the eastern parts of the empire, and Perdiccas and Eumenes subdued Cappadocia. First War of the Diadochi, 322–320 BC Edit The distribution of satrapies in the Macedonian empire after the settlement in Babylon 323 BC Soon, however, conflict broke out. Perdiccas ' attempt to marry Alexander's sister Cleopatra led Antipater, Craterus, Antigonus, and Ptolemy to join together in rebellion. The actual outbreak of war was triggered by Ptolemy's theft of Alexander's body , and diversion of it to Egypt. Although Eumenes defeated the rebels in Asia Minor, in a battle at which Craterus was killed, it was all for nought, as Perdiccas himself was murdered by his own generals Peithon, Seleucus , and Antigenes during an invasion of Egypt.

Ptolemy came to terms with Perdiccas's murderers, making Peithon and Arrhidaeus regents in his place, but soon these came to a new agreement with Antipater at the Treaty of Triparadisus . Antipater was made regent of the empire, and the two kings were moved to Macedon. Antigonus remained in charge of Phrygia, Lycia, and Pamphylia, to which was added Lycaonia . Ptolemy retained Egypt, Lysimachus retained Thrace, while the three murderers of Perdiccas—Seleucus, Peithon, and Antigenes—were given the provinces of Babylonia, Media, and Susiana respectively. Arrhidaeus, the former regent, received Hellespontine Phrygia. Antigonus was charged with the task of rooting out Perdiccas's former supporter, Eumenes. In effect, Antipater retained for himself control of Europe, while Antigonus, as leader of the largest army east of the Hellespont, held a similar position in Asia.

Second partition 321 BC and death of Antipater Main article: Second War of the Diadochi War soon broke out again, however, following the death of Antipater in 319 BC. Passing over his own son, Cassander , Antipater had declared Polyperchon his successor as Regent. A civil war soon broke out in Macedon and Greece between Polyperchon and Cassander, with the latter supported by Antigonus and Ptolemy. Polyperchon allied himself to Eumenes in Asia, but was driven from Macedonia by Cassander, and fled to Epirus with the infant king Alexander IV and his mother Roxane. In Epirus he joined forces with Olympias , Alexander's mother, and together they invaded Macedon again. They were met by an army commanded by King Philip Arrhidaeus and his wife Eurydice , which immediately defected, leaving the king and Eurydice to Olympias's not so tender mercies, and they were killed (317 BC).

Soon after, though, the tide turned, and Cassander was victorious, capturing and killing Olympias, and attaining control of Macedon, the boy king, and his mother. In the east, Eumenes was gradually driven back into the east by Antigonus's forces. After great battles at Paraitacene in 317 BC and at Gabiene in 316 BC, Eumenes was eventually betrayed and murdered by his own troops in 315 BC, leaving Antigonus in undisputed control of the Asian territories of the empire. Third War of the Diadochi, 314–311 BC Edit In this war, Antigonus, who had grown too powerful for the other rulers to tolerate him, faced Ptolemy, Lysimachus, and Cassander. Antigonus invaded Syria, under Ptolemy's control, and besieged Tyre for more than a year. Antigonus allied himself to Polyperchon, who still controlled part of the Peloponnese, and proclaimed freedom for the Greeks to get them on his side.

But although Cassander was tempted to conclude peace with Antigonus, in Asia the war turned against the one-eyed general. A force sent by Antigonus under the officer Athenaeus failed to subdue the Nabataeans . Ptolemy invaded Syria (and defeated Antigonus' son, Demetrius Poliorcetes , in the Battle of Gaza , 312 BC) and Seleucus secured control of Babylon, and thus, of the eastern reaches of Alexander's empire. Although Antigonus now concluded a compromise peace with Ptolemy, Lysimachus, and Cassander, he continued the war with Seleucus, attempting to recover control of the eastern reaches of the empire. Although he went so far as to enter Babylon in 310 BC, the Babylonian War (311–309) ended in Antigonus' defeat. At about the same time, Cassander had young King Alexander IV and his mother Roxane murdered, ending the Argead Dynasty which had ruled Macedon for several centuries.

For the moment, all of the various generals continued to recognize the dead Alexander as king, since Cassander did not publicly announce the deaths, but it seemed clear that at some point, one or all of them would claim the kingship. Babylonian War, 311–309 BC Main article: Babylonian War The Babylonian War was a conflict fought between 311-309 BC between the Diadochi kings Antigonus Monophthalmus and Seleucus I Nicator , ending in a victory for the latter. The conflict ended any possibility of restoration of the empire of Alexander the Great , a result confirmed in the Battle of Ipsus . Fourth War of the Diadochi, 308–301 BC Greek colonies War soon broke out again. Ptolemy had been expanding his power into the Aegean and to Cyprus, while Seleucus went on a tour of the east to consolidate his control of the vast eastern territories of Alexander's empire. Antigonus resumed the war, sending his son Demetrius to regain control of Greece.

In 307 he took Athens, expelling Demetrius of Phaleron , Cassander's governor, and proclaiming the city free again. Demetrius now turned his attention to Ptolemy, invading Cyprus and defeating Ptolemy's fleet at the Battle of Salamis . In the aftermath of this victory, Antigonus and Demetrius both assumed the crown, and they were shortly followed by Ptolemy, Seleucus, Lysimachus, and eventually Cassander. In 306, Antigonus attempted to invade Egypt, but storms prevented Demetrius's fleet from supplying him, and he was forced to return home. Now, with Cassander and Ptolemy both weakened, and Seleucus still occupied in the East, Antigonus and Demetrius turned their attention to Rhodes, which was besieged by Demetrius's forces in 305 BC (see siege of Rhodes ). The island was reinforced by troops from Ptolemy, Lysimachus, and Cassander.

Ultimately, the Rhodians reached a compromise with Demetrius – they would support Antigonus and Demetrius against all enemies, save their great ally Ptolemy. Ptolemy took the title of Soter ("Savior") for his role in preventing the fall of Rhodes, but the victory was ultimately Demetrius's, as it left him with a free hand to attack Cassander in Greece. Demetrius returned to Greece, defeated Cassander, and formed a new Hellenic League, with himself as general, to defend the Greek cities against all enemies (and particularly Cassander). In the face of these catastrophes, Cassander sued for peace, but Antigonus rejected the claims, and Demetrius invaded Thessaly, where he and Cassander faced off against each other in inconclusive engagements. But now Cassander called in aid from his allies, and Anatolia was invaded by Lysimachus, forcing Demetrius to leave Thessaly and send his armies to Asia Minor to assist his father.

With assistance from Cassander, Lysimachus overran much of western Anatolia, but was soon (301 BC) isolated by Antigonus and Demetrius near Ipsus. Here came the decisive intervention from Seleucus, who arrived in time to save Lysimachus from disaster and utterly crush Antigonus at the Battle of Ipsus . Antigonus was killed in the fight, and Demetrius fled back to Greece to attempt to preserve the remnants of his rule there. Lysimachus and Seleucus divided up Antigonus's Asian territories between them, with Lysimachus receiving western Asia Minor and Seleucus the rest, except Cilicia and Lycia, which went to Cassander's brother Pleistarchus . The struggle over Macedon, 298–285 BC Edit The events of the next decade and a half were centered around various intrigues for control of Macedon itself. Cassander died in 298 BC, and his sons, Antipater and Alexander , proved weaklings.

After quarreling with his older brother, Alexander V called in Demetrius, who had retained control of Cyprus, the Peloponnese, and many of the Aegean islands, and had quickly seized control of Cilicia and Lycia from Cassander's brother, as well as Pyrrhus , the King of Epirus. After Pyrrhus had intervened to seize the border region of Ambracia , Demetrius invaded, killed Alexander, and seized control of Macedon for himself (294 BC). While Demetrius consolidated his control of mainland Greece, his outlying territories were invaded and captured by Lysimachus (who recovered western Anatolia), Seleucus (who took most of Cilicia), and Ptolemy (who recovered Cyprus, eastern Cilicia, and Lycia). Soon, Demetrius was forced from Macedon by a rebellion supported by the alliance of Lysimachus and Pyrrhus, who divided the Kingdom between them, and, leaving Greece to the control of his son, Antigonus Gonatas , Demetrius launched an invasion of the east in 287 BC.

Although initially successful, Demetrius was ultimately captured by Seleucus (286 BC), drinking himself to death two years later. The struggle of Lysimachus and Seleucus, 285–281 BC Edit Although Lysimachus and Pyrrhus had cooperated in driving Antigonus Gonatas from Thessaly and Athens, in the wake of Demetrius's capture they soon fell out, with Lysimachus driving Pyrrhus from his share of Macedon. Dynastic struggles also rent Egypt, where Ptolemy decided to make his younger son Ptolemy Philadelphus his heir rather than the elder, Ptolemy Ceraunus . Ceraunus fled to Seleucus. The eldest Ptolemy died peacefully in his bed in 282 BC, and Philadelphus succeeded him. Soon Lysimachus made the fatal mistake of having his son Agathocles murdered at the say-so of his second wife, Arsinoe (282 BC). Agathocles's widow, Lysandra , fled to Seleucus, who now made war upon Lysimachus.

Seleucus, after appointing his son Antiochus ruler of his Asian territories, defeated and killed Lysimachus at the Battle of Corupedium in Lydia in 281 BC, but Seleucus did not live to enjoy his triumph for long – he was almost immediately murdered by Ptolemy Ceraunus, for reasons that remain unclear. The Gallic invasions and consolidation, 280–275 BC Edit Ptolemy Ceraunus was also not to enjoy the rule of Macedon for very long. The death of Lysimachus had left the Danube border of the Macedonian kingdom open to barbarian invasions, and soon tribes of Gauls were rampaging through Macedon and Greece, and invading Asia Minor. Ptolemy Ceraunus was killed by the invaders, and after several years of chaos, none other than Antigonus Gonatas emerged as ruler of Macedon. In Asia, Seleucus's son, Antiochus I, also managed to defeat the Celtic invaders, who settled down in central Anatolia in the part of eastern Phrygia that would henceforward be known as Galatia after them.

Now, at long last, almost fifty years after Alexander's death, some sort of order was restored. Ptolemy ruled over Egypt, southern Syria (known as Coele-Syria), and various territories on the southern coast of Asia Minor. Antiochus ruled the vast Asian territories of the empire, while Macedon and Greece (with the exception of the Aetolian League ) fell to Antigonus. Aftermath Diadochi Wars, Alexander's Generals - Timeline Index Timeline Index Diadochi Wars, Alexander's Generals The Wars of the Diadochi (or Wars of Alexander's Successors) were a series of conflicts fought between Alexander the Great's generals over the rule of his empire between 322 and 275 BC. When Alexander the Great died (June 10, 323 BC), he left behind a huge empire which was composed of many essentially independent territories. Alexander's empire stretched from his homeland of Macedon itself, along with the Greek city-states that his father had subdued, to Bactria and parts of India in the east. It included Anatolia, the Levant, Egypt, Babylonia, and Persia.

Without a chosen successor there was almost immediately a dispute among his generals as to who his successor should be. Meleager and the infantry supported the candidacy of Alexander's half-brother, Arrhidaeus, while Perdiccas, the leading cavalry commander, supported waiting until the birth of Alexander's unborn child by Roxana. A compromise was arranged ï¿½ Arrhidaeus (as Philip III) should become King, and should rule jointly with Roxana's child, assuming that it was a boy (as it was, becoming Alexander IV). Perdiccas himself would become Regent of the entire Empire, and Meleager his lieutenant. Soon, however, Perdiccas had Meleager and the other infantry leaders murdered, and assumed full control. More on this Website The Greco-Persian Wars - Timeline Index Timeline Index The Greco-Persian Wars The Greco-Persian Wars (also often called the Persian Wars) were a series of conflicts between the Achaemenid Empire of Persia and city-states of the Hellenic world that started in 499 BC and lasted until 449 BC.

The collision between the fractious political world of the Greeks and the enormous empire of the Persians began when Cyrus the Great conquered Ionia in 547 BC. By Greek accounts, enmity between Greek and Persian continued for more than two centuries, culminating in the dissolution of the Persian Empire by Alexander the Great; the principal events of the wars, however, unfolded during the two failed Persian expeditions against Greece, in 490 and in 480/479 BC. The Greeks themselves referred to those wars as the "Median affair". Although they were perfectly aware that the Achaemenid Empire, their enemy, was ruled by a Persian dynasty, they retained for this empire the name under which they had known it first, that of the Medes. More on this Website Learn and talk about Wars of the Diadochi, 270s BC conflicts, 280s BC conflicts, 290s BC conflicts, 3rd century BC in Macedonia (ancient kingdom) Main article: Partition of Babylon When Alexander the Great died (June 10, 323 BC), he left behind a huge empire that was in essence composed of many independent territories.

Alexander's empire stretched from his homeland of Macedon itself, along with the Greek city-states that his father had subdued, to Bactria and parts of India in the east. It included Anatolia , the Levant , Egypt , Babylonia , and Persia . Without a chosen successor, there was almost immediately a dispute among his generals as to whom his successor should be. Meleager and the infantry supported the candidacy of Alexander's half-brother, Arrhidaeus , while Perdiccas , the leading cavalry commander, supported waiting until the birth of Alexander's unborn child by Roxana . A compromise was arranged – Arrhidaeus (as Philip III) should become king, and should rule jointly with Roxana's child, assuming that it was a boy (as it was, becoming Alexander IV ). Perdiccas himself would become regent of the entire empire, and Meleager his lieutenant. Soon, however, Perdiccas had Meleager and the other infantry leaders murdered, and assumed full control. Main article: Lamian War The news of Alexander's death inspired a revolt in Greece, known as the Lamian War . Athens and other cities joined together, ultimately besieging Antipater in the fortress of Lamia .

Antipater was relieved by a force sent by Leonnatus , who was killed in action, but the war did not come to an end until Craterus's arrival with a fleet to defeat the Athenians at the Battle of Crannon on September 5, 322 BC. For a time, this brought an end to Greek resistance to Macedonian domination. Meanwhile, Peithon suppressed a revolt of Greek settlers in the eastern parts of the empire, and Perdiccas and Eumenes subdued Cappadocia . First War of the Diadochi, 322–320 BC[ edit ] The distribution of satrapies in the Macedonian empire after the settlement in Babylon 323 BC Soon, however, conflict broke out. Perdiccas ' attempt to marry Alexander's sister Cleopatra led Antipater, Craterus, Antigonus, and Ptolemy to join together in rebellion. The actual outbreak of war was triggered by Ptolemy's theft of Alexander's body , and diversion of it to Egypt.

Although Eumenes defeated the rebels in Asia Minor, in a battle at which Craterus was killed, it was all for nought, as Perdiccas himself was murdered by his own generals Peithon, Seleucus , and Antigenes during an invasion of Egypt. Ptolemy came to terms with Perdiccas' murderers, making Peithon and Arrhidaeus regents in his place, but soon these came to a new agreement with Antipater at the Treaty of Triparadisus . Antipater was made regent of the empire, and the two kings were moved to Macedon. Antigonus remained in charge of Phrygia, Lycia, and Pamphylia, to which was added Lycaonia . Ptolemy retained Egypt, Lysimachus retained Thrace, while the three murderers of Perdiccas—Seleucus, Peithon, and Antigenes—were given the provinces of Babylonia, Media, and Susiana respectively. Arrhidaeus, the former regent, received Hellespontine Phrygia. Antigonus was charged with the task of rooting out Perdiccas's former supporter, Eumenes.

In effect, Antipater retained for himself control of Europe, while Antigonus, as leader of the largest army east of the Hellespont , held a similar position in Asia. Second partition 321 BC and death of Antipater[ edit ] Main article: Second War of the Diadochi War soon broke out again, however, following the death of Antipater in 319 BC. Passing over his own son, Cassander , Antipater had declared Polyperchon his successor as Regent. A civil war soon broke out in Macedon and Greece between Polyperchon and Cassander, with the latter supported by Antigonus and Ptolemy . Polyperchon allied himself to Eumenes in Asia, but was driven from Macedonia by Cassander, and fled to Epirus with the infant king Alexander IV and his mother Roxana . In Epirus he joined forces with Olympias , Alexander's mother, and together they invaded Macedon again.

They were met by an army commanded by King Philip III Arrhidaeus and his wife Eurydice , which immediately defected, leaving the king and Eurydice to Olympias's not so tender mercies, and they were killed (317 BC). Soon after, though, the tide turned, and Cassander was victorious, capturing and killing Olympias , and attaining control of Macedon, the boy king Alexander IV , and his mother, both of whom he would later have killed in 310 BC in order to secure his rule. In Asia, Eumenes was gradually driven back further east by Antigonus's forces culminating in battles at Paraitacene in 317 BC and at Gabiene 316 BC. It was in the immediate aftermath of the latter, that Eumenes was betrayed by his own troops and handed over to Antigonus , who had him executed in 315 BC. This left Antigonus in undisputed control of the Asian territories of the empire.

Third War of the Diadochi, 314–311 BC[ edit ] In this war, Antigonus, who had grown too powerful for the other rulers to tolerate him, faced Ptolemy, Lysimachus, and Cassander. Antigonus invaded Syria, under Ptolemy's control, and besieged Tyre for more than a year. Antigonus allied himself to Polyperchon, who still controlled part of the Peloponnese , and proclaimed freedom for the Greeks to get them on his side. But although Cassander was tempted to conclude peace with Antigonus, in Asia the war turned against the one-eyed general. A force sent by Antigonus under the officer Athenaeus failed to subdue the Nabataeans . Ptolemy invaded Syria (and defeated Antigonus' son, Demetrius Poliorcetes , in the Battle of Gaza , 312 BC) and Seleucus secured control of Babylon , and thus, of the eastern reaches of Alexander's empire.

Although Antigonus now concluded a compromise peace with Ptolemy, Lysimachus, and Cassander, he continued the war with Seleucus, attempting to recover control of the eastern reaches of the empire. Although he went so far as to enter Babylon in 310 BC, the Babylonian War (311–309) ended in Antigonus' defeat. At about the same time, Cassander had young King Alexander IV and his mother Roxane murdered, ending the Argead Dynasty which had ruled Macedon for several centuries. For the moment, all of the various generals continued to recognize the dead Alexander as king, since Cassander did not publicly announce the deaths, but it seemed clear that at some point, one or all of them would claim the kingship. Babylonian War, 311–309 BC[ edit ] Main article: Babylonian War The Babylonian War was a conflict fought between 311-309 BC between the Diadochi kings Antigonus Monophthalmus and Seleucus I Nicator , ending in a victory for the latter.

The conflict ended any possibility of restoration of the empire of Alexander the Great , a result confirmed in the Battle of Ipsus . Fourth War of the Diadochi, 308–301 BC[ edit ] Kingdoms of the Diadochi after the Battle of Ipsus, c. 301 BC. Greek States War soon broke out again. Ptolemy had been expanding his power into the Aegean and to Cyprus , while Seleucus went on a tour of the east to consolidate his control of the vast eastern territories of Alexander's empire. Antigonus resumed the war, sending his son Demetrius to regain control of Greece. In 307 he took Athens, expelling Demetrius of Phaleron , Cassander's governor, and proclaiming the city free again. Demetrius now turned his attention to Ptolemy, invading Cyprus and defeating Ptolemy's fleet at the Battle of Salamis . In the aftermath of this victory, Antigonus and Demetrius both assumed the crown, and they were shortly followed by Ptolemy, Seleucus, Lysimachus, and eventually Cassander.

In 306, Antigonus attempted to invade Egypt, but storms prevented Demetrius' fleet from supplying him, and he was forced to return home. Now, with Cassander and Ptolemy both weakened, and Seleucus still occupied in the East, Antigonus and Demetrius turned their attention to Rhodes , which was besieged by Demetrius's forces in 305 BC . The island was reinforced by troops from Ptolemy, Lysimachus, and Cassander. Ultimately, the Rhodians reached a compromise with Demetrius – they would support Antigonus and Demetrius against all enemies, save their great ally Ptolemy. Ptolemy took the title of Soter ("Savior") for his role in preventing the fall of Rhodes, but the victory was ultimately Demetrius', as it left him with a free hand to attack Cassander in Greece. Demetrius returned to Greece, defeated Cassander, and formed a new Hellenic League, with himself as general, to defend the Greek cities against all enemies (and particularly Cassander).

In the face of these catastrophes, Cassander sued for peace, but Antigonus rejected the claims, and Demetrius invaded Thessaly , where he and Cassander faced off against each other in inconclusive engagements. But now Cassander called in aid from his allies, and Anatolia was invaded by Lysimachus, forcing Demetrius to leave Thessaly and send his armies to Asia Minor to assist his father. With assistance from Cassander, Lysimachus overran much of western Anatolia, but was soon (301 BC) isolated by Antigonus and Demetrius near Ipsus. Here came the decisive intervention from Seleucus, who arrived in time to save Lysimachus from disaster and utterly crush Antigonus at the Battle of Ipsus . Antigonus was killed in the fight, and Demetrius fled back to Greece to attempt to preserve the remnants of his rule there. Lysimachus and Seleucus divided up Antigonus's Asian territories between them, with Lysimachus receiving western Asia Minor and Seleucus the rest, except Cilicia and Lycia, which went to Cassander's brother Pleistarchus .

The struggle over Macedon, 298–285 BC[ edit ] The events of the next decade and a half were centered around various intrigues for control of Macedon itself. Cassander died in 298 BC, and his sons, Antipater and Alexander , proved weaklings. After quarreling with his older brother, Alexander V called in Demetrius, who had retained control of Cyprus, the Peloponnese, and many of the Aegean islands, and had quickly seized control of Cilicia and Lycia from Cassander's brother, as well as Pyrrhus , the King of Epirus . After Pyrrhus had intervened to seize the border region of Ambracia , Demetrius invaded, killed Alexander, and seized control of Macedon for himself (294 BC). While Demetrius consolidated his control of mainland Greece, his outlying territories were invaded and captured by Lysimachus (who recovered western Anatolia), Seleucus (who took most of Cilicia), and Ptolemy (who recovered Cyprus, eastern Cilicia, and Lycia).

Soon, Demetrius was forced from Macedon by a rebellion supported by the alliance of Lysimachus and Pyrrhus, who divided the Kingdom between them, and, leaving Greece to the control of his son, Antigonus Gonatas , Demetrius launched an invasion of the east in 287 BC. Although initially successful, Demetrius was ultimately captured by Seleucus (286 BC), drinking himself to death two years later. The struggle of Lysimachus and Seleucus, 285–281 BC[ edit ] Although Lysimachus and Pyrrhus had cooperated in driving Antigonus Gonatas from Thessaly and Athens, in the wake of Demetrius's capture they soon fell out, with Lysimachus driving Pyrrhus from his share of Macedon. Dynastic struggles also rent Egypt, where Ptolemy decided to make his younger son Ptolemy Philadelphus his heir rather than the elder, Ptolemy Ceraunus . Ceraunus fled to Seleucus. The eldest Ptolemy died peacefully in his bed in 282 BC, and Philadelphus succeeded him.

Soon Lysimachus made the fatal mistake of having his son Agathocles murdered at the say-so of his second wife, Arsinoe (282 BC). Agathocles's widow, Lysandra , fled to Seleucus, who now made war upon Lysimachus. Seleucus, after appointing his son Antiochus ruler of his Asian territories, defeated and killed Lysimachus at the Battle of Corupedium in Lydia in 281 BC, but Seleucus did not live to enjoy his triumph for long – he was almost immediately murdered by Ptolemy Ceraunus, for reasons that remain unclear. The Gallic invasions and consolidation, 280–275 BC[ edit ] Ptolemy Ceraunus was also not to enjoy the rule of Macedon for very long. The death of Lysimachus had left the Danube border of the Macedonian kingdom open to barbarian invasions, and soon tribes of Gauls were rampaging through Macedon and Greece, and invading Asia Minor.

Ptolemy Ceraunus was killed by the invaders, and after several years of chaos, none other than Antigonus Gonatas emerged as ruler of Macedon. In Asia, Seleucus's son, Antiochus I, also managed to defeat the Celtic invaders, who settled down in central Anatolia in the part of eastern Phrygia that would henceforward be known as Galatia after them. Now, at long last, almost fifty years after Alexander's death, some sort of order was restored. Ptolemy ruled over Egypt, southern Syria (known as Coele-Syria ), and various territories on the southern coast of Asia Minor. Antiochus ruled the vast Asian territories of the empire, while Macedon and Greece (with the exception of the Aetolian League ) fell to Antigonus.

Question: The Wars of the Diadochi were a series of conflicts fought for the control of an empire after whose death?
Answer: Alexander the Great